Louis Süe, born in Bordeaux in 1875, initially studied architecture before developing a passion for painting. Exhibiting with the Nabis from 1902 onwards, he joined forces with Paul Huillard to open an architectural practice, before returning to painting and taking an interest in interior design. In 1912, he founded « L’Atelier Français », a furniture and object publishing house, with Jacques Palyart, and met the painter André Mare, ten years his junior, with whom he shared a common vision. Mare, originally from Normandy, first made a name for himself in artistic bookbinding before becoming involved in interior design, and stood out at the Salon d’Automne that same year with his presentation of the « Maison Cubiste ».

The two artists combined their talents in 1919 to found La Compagnie des Arts Français, a French publishing and decoration company located at 116 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris. Convinced that modernity would come from working on joint decoration projects, they surrounded themselves with a team of artists and craftsmen from complementary disciplines who were interested in the decorative applications of their art: painters Paul Vera, Charles Dufresne, Gustave-Louis Jaulmes, Bernard Boutet de Monvel, André Dunoyer de Segonzac, Jean-Louis Boussingault, ironworker Richard Desvallières, sculptor Pierre Poisson, painter and glassmaker Maurice Marinot, and designer André Marty.

They imagined « serious, logical, welcoming » ensembles, in which all aspects of interior design were addressed: décor, furniture, fabrics, ceramics, glassware, bronzes, lighting, and wallpaper. Two types of production were envisaged: mass production and luxury production for wealthy customers, some of whose designs were reproduced in a collection published in 1921, « Architectures », which was intended to be the company’s manifesto and for which Paul Valéry wrote the text « Eupalinos ou l’Architecte ». Sue and Mare’s designs opted for an opulent and theatrical aesthetic, characterised by enveloping forms, luxurious materials such as rosewood, ebony and lacquer, and bold colours.

Their creations stood out particularly at the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, where they won several awards, including a Grand Prix for furniture for Mare and an honorary diploma for their company. This success enabled the company to establish itself on the French scene, with prestigious projects such as the fitting out of ocean liners (the Paris in 1921, the Ile-de-France in 1927) and private homes, such as that of Jean Patou, as well as the decoration of the grand salons of the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique.

However, in 1928, the Compagnie des Arts Français experienced financial difficulties. Management was then handed over to Jacques Adnet, and Süe and Mare’s work came to an end with the refurbishment of Jane Renouardt’s mansion. Although their collaboration lasted only a few years, their influence on design and decorative arts remains undeniable, and their work continues to leave its mark on the history of French furniture.